


Better Together

by CannibalKats



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, M/M, no mint eye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-11-08
Packaged: 2019-01-06 21:46:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12219555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannibalKats/pseuds/CannibalKats
Summary: The RFA are a mishmash of people from all backgrounds who just want to help people but they all have their own problems.this is largely just an excuse for me to throw all my OC/character ships together in a universe without Mint Eye, you'll see Callie from Practically Impractical and Noelle from Lost Boys, Kit from Counting Stars.  Mint Eye never existed in this universe. The twins went into foster care, where Saeran and Zen became foster brothers and Seven was adopted by Rika's parents.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter is deceptively smutty. Posting it today in lieu of a DALD update.

1

An innocent girl, that’s what he tells himself he wants. If someone kind and pure and sweet can love him then maybe everything his mother told him really was a lie.  An innocent girl to be his princess.  An innocent girl to smile chaste smiles at him, and make him want to be a better person.

Not that he’s ever found that.  Those girls smile at him from a distance and write him pretty letters but he can never bring himself to talk to them.  Not beyond a smile, nothing more than a selfie and a signature and off they go, a faint pink blush when he calls them Princess and tells them to have a good day.  He could reach out and touch them but, he’s afraid he’d ruin them.  Afraid that they’re  _ too _ pure,  _ too _ sweet for someone like him.

Not like her.  

She’s not his Princess, she’s his Queen.

He can tell himself he wants innocence all he likes but he can’t help the way she makes him feel.  The eager way she calls when he says he’s about to take a shower.  The bold way she asks for pictures at even the hint of a compromising situation.  The late night calls filled with careful teasing.

He’s in too deep.

The sly cluck of her tongue when she scolds him for being too forward. The wet sound of her fingers in her mouth when he ignores it and continues to tease.  God.  She would kill him like this and he’d happily let her.  

He’d only met her the once.  She’d been called in last minute to fill a spot in the band and he’d planned to ignore her.  He could tell by the whispers she was supposed to be a big deal, a friend of the producers doing a personal favour.  He’d seen her opening night with her dark hair down over her shoulder, and a carefully pressed pants suit.  She hadn’t spared the cast a second glance.

All he’d needed in his life was a female Jumin.

Then the show had closed and there she was at the cast party in ripped jeans and biker boots, her long hair twisted up to reveal an intricately patterned undercut, one arm a sleeve of tattoos and she was  _ smiling at him _ .  A beer in one hand a shot in the other.

They’d almost slept together that night but he’d stopped it.  Standing outside in sleeveless shirts smoking and freezing and she’d made some filthy joke, and he couldn’t help but respond and before he knew it she had him pressed into a patio chair while she knelt in front of him working open his pants.

He stops her as she gets them open, leaning forward with his hand in her hair to cover her mouth in a kiss.  She kisses like she’s fucking him with her mouth, like a promise of the things she could do to him, teeth and tongue and she never quite closes her eyes.  She pushes him back settling down on her heels and she wobbles a little and suddenly he’s very aware of how drunk they are.

She’d teased him when he stopped her.  Teased him and kissed him and slipped her number into his phone.

She’s out of the city a lot and he’d almost be upset about all the cancelled plans if he wasn’t just as busy.  Even if she was in town their schedules never cooperated.  So it had been months of this.  Months of teasing, and pictures and voicemails he couldn’t check on the train.

“Mmm, I thought you had lines to run,” she sighs and he can hear the hitch to her voice. She’d started without him, she always did.  Sometimes she called him panting and begging others were like now.  The muffled sighs between words, the moist slide of fingers against her tongue, the slight teasing lilt, trying to see how long she could work herself before he noticed.

Sometimes he gave in early, sometimes he just wanted to hear her unravel, the way she cursed his name as she came, the way she’d reward him sometimes with pictures and video clips, other times he took his time.  Answered her questions like he couldn’t hear her panting or sighing under her breath.  Kept her talking about nothing until she couldn’t help but let one of those beautiful moans slip past her defences.

“Aw babe,” he’s considering teasing tonight, “too late you missed the show.”

“No,” she whines,  “I was hoping for a sneak peak,” he hears her breath catch between sneak and peak.  

“You’ll have to buy tickets then, no free shows here.”

“Mmm, already have mine,” she sings.

“Really?”  shit he sounds eager, and he’s forgotten what she’s trying to do.  She was always on the road, she’d never been able to commit to seeing him on stage before.

“Y-yeah,” her voice catches and his dick twitches and he remembers exactly what they were doing. “Might have a steady gig for a bit.”

“Maybe we could—” he starts.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” She asks at the same time.

_ You _ , he wants to say. Seriously considers saying as he listens to the soft moan she does her best to stifle.  “No plans,” he says instead.

“I’ve got a sound check at 2pm, I’ll put you on the list. We can get something to eat and you can make good on some of those promises you’ve made.”    

“ _ That _ sounds _ really _ good,” he says after another soft moan.

Her sound check started at 2pm, he was sure it would last at least an hour so he hadn’t rushed.   He wonders what kind of gig it is.  She had a band, they mostly did covers but they were pretty popular.  She also had her Cello.  She was a pretty big deal with her Cello, she’d played  _ with _ important people, she’d played  _ for _ important people.  

When he slips in the venue the first staff member he sees recognises him and lets him right through.  He can hear drums right away, the bass and the guitar follow as he slips into the lower bowl.  She’s on stage, more tattoos that the last time he’d seen her in person, more of her head is shaved.  She’s singing some classic rock song.  

She glances off stage and nods and another song picks up, bluesy this time and she sings it with her whole body.  It’s just a sound check, just setting the levels but she’s singing like she has an audience and maybe she does.  He slips into a seat front and centre and he can see the moment she notices him there.  

That too cool aloof smirk quirks into a genuine grin for just a moment.  When the song ends he can see the rest of the band glance about, she looks off stage and shrugs.  Instruments start getting packed up and she’s helping until Jumin Han strides onto the stage and Zen’s heart stops.

She turns, smiles, he kisses her on the cheek and Zen’s fist clenches but she’s waving to him, motioning for him to join them.   Of course she knew Jumin, he tells himself, her connections, her education, both of them were rich kids.

“Hyun,” Jumin says with a smirk, “I didn’t expect to see you here on your day off, do you make a habit of haunting theatres?”

She mouths his name at him and he shrugs watching her turn back and shove Jumin. Zen tries not to laugh, barely succeeds. “Jumin you could have said something.”

“It didn’t seem necessary,” Jumin shrugs.

She shoves him again. “Don’t be a shit, Jumin Han.”

Zen is lost.

“Hmm,” Jumin hums, he cocks his head and shifts his eyes between the two of them.  He fixes Zen with a long hard look before turning his gaze back to her. “Yumi this isn’t why you asked me to find you something lasting is it?”

She blushes, shifts her stance away from Zen and glares at Jumin Han.  Zen can’t suppress his smirk when he watches the usually composed CEO take a step back from that glare. “Even if it  _ was _ ,” she starts and there’s something in her tone that makes Zen’s heart leap, “it’s not like it matters.”

“ _ You _ got her a job?” Zen can’t help himself.  Yumi almost never spoke about herself, and when she did it was work, never personal, never at length. “ _ Why _ ?”

“It would seem foolish to have invested so much into her education and career to ignore her requests for more permanent work now,” Jumin shrugs.  One corner of his mouth turns up slightly and Zen  _ knows _ he’s being purposely obtuse.

“You’re being a  _ shit _ again, Jumin,” Yumi scolds. “He means  _ Jihyun would complain if I didn’t help _ , he just doesn’t want to admit that my brother pouting makes him feel actual emotions.”

“ _ Brother _ ,” Zen whispers.  V had an older sister but Yumi was younger than, V.  Yumi was younger than Zen111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111.

“ _ Half _ brother,” Jumin corrects.

She watches as he controls the shock in his face, and then takes a step closer and smirks, “Are you worried about your reputation  _ Hyun _ ?”

“M-my what?” there’s something to the way she says his real name, he’s not sure if it’s her tone or simply that she’s never said it before but he’s ready for Jumin to leave, ready to skip the lunch they’d planned.  He wants to find the nearest dark corner and listen to all the ways she might say his name again.

“You know being seen with the secret sordid daughter of a rich man, not my famous brother, or my completely unremarkable sister.”  She laughs nervously and Jumin lays a hand on her shoulder.

“I won’t keep you from your plans Yumi, but you should let V know you’re back.”

She rolls her eyes as Jumin Han walks away. “If I didn’t want this job I wouldn’t have told  _ you _ I was back Jumin,” she mumbles and Zen chuckles.  “I guess you’re a member of their little club then?”

Zen nods, suddenly very aware of his hands, he can’t decide what he should do with them while she takes him in.

“Does, uh, does that make this weird?” She asks running a hand through her hair and glancing away.

“Should it?” he asks taking a step towards her.

Yumi closes the distance, she throws her arms around his neck and uses the leverage to pull herself onto her tiptoes and bury her face in his neck. She drags her tongue along his throat and presses teeth to pulse point before sucking.

He groans, hands at his side a little longer than he’d like before wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her slightly and tilting his head.

He wonders, when she pulls away, if there will be a mark for him to explain to the make-up team tomorrow.  A small part of him hopes so.

She shifts her weight, tightening her arms around his neck and lifting her legs to wrap around his waist and he stumbles a little, moving his hands under her ass to steady her as she draws her tongue along his adam’s apple and under his chin. Smirking at him before she takes his bottom lip between her teeth and grinds her hips into his.

“I th-think we should skip lunch,” he says, trying not to pant.

“You want to skip the bed too,” she teases nibbling his earlobe and earning a deep groan, “we could fuck right here on stage.”

He squeezes her ass and pulls her tighter against him while she giggles into his neck.  “Don’t tempt me,” he growls.

_ Finally _ he thinks when she kisses him and drops her legs one at a time from his hips.  He holds her there by her waist and returns her kiss, capturing her tongue with his. He earns a soft moan against his lips when he lets his hands trail down her back to cup her ass.

She slips her hands under his shirt for a moment, the two of them oblivious to the movement around them, her hands on his abs electric and then she laughs. Not a demure giggle but a full cackling laugh before she spins out of his grip. 

She grabs a piece of equipment from the stage, her band’s logo stenciled on the side and starts to help the rest of the band pick up.  It takes him a moment to join them.  Just a moment for his heartrate to even out, for the blood to return to his brain.  

He blushes when the first of her bandmates makes eye contact with him and she elbows him playfully as she passes, followed by an echoing slap on his ass. He blushes deeper but the man walking past him shrugs and shakes his head.

He gets over his embarrassment when the bassist, while bumming a cigarette, mentions how nice it is to see Yumi settling down.  Zen hadn’t even considered letting himself hope.  They had barely seen one another after all, and they were both so busy, so focused on their careers.  But She’d asked Jumin to find her stable gigs, she’d talked about  _ him _ to her bandmates.

She takes his hand and drags him behind her when they’re done. Flipping off her bandmates as they whoop and cat call after them.  Cheeks dark as she shoves him in an elevator.  She shoves him against the wall as it lurches, pressing her thigh between his legs and standing on her toes to kiss him roughly.  Her hands holding him firm.

He rolls his hips against her thigh and feels her smile as her tongue fucks into his mouth.  The bell dings and she’s already turned from him.  Already walking through the heavy door pulling him behind her, panting and trying to adjust himself so he’s not so painfully obvious.  Following after her like a puppy on a leash.  She glances over her shoulder at him like she knows what he’s thinking, like that’s exactly what she wants from him.  It’s all he can do not to whimper from the promise of that look.

Zen was used to leading his encounters.  His partners always seemed to want that from him.  He was used to being dominant, or rough or any number of things that didn’t come naturally to him.  What did come naturally was the desire to please, to be who they needed.    
  
His rare opportunities to indulge in more  _ carnal _ pleasures were always brief, one or two time things.  Even when he wanted more no one was really interested in playing second to his job.  No one really took the time to ask what he liked, or what he wanted.

Yumi seemed to already know.

She drags him across the street, a big hotel that Zen knows is owned by C&R looms above them and she pulls him through the big doors, nods at the concierge and slips into another elevator.  This time she fumbles in her pockets at the doors close, she produces a key card, slips it into the little slot and presses a button.

She pulls him against her, runs her hands along his broad chest and hums before she reaches for his hand, bringing it to her lips and sucking a finger into her mouth.  His lips part as her tongue works the digit, and she opens her mouth slightly watching him.

He takes a shaky breath, wonders very briefly how long they’ll be on this elevator and slips another finger into her mouth. She smiles, closing her lips around his long fingers and stroking them with her tongue.  He moves his hand, slowly fucking her mouth with his fingers until she moans around them.  She opens her mouth dragging her tongue between fingers as she pulls off, smirking at him just before the doors open.

Then he’s being dragged again and he can’t help the way his eyes fall to her ass, round and muscular like a dancer’s in her perfectly fit jeans.  He wants to bury his face between her cheeks, wants to dig his fingers into the flesh, to lift and squeeze and rub himself between them.

She pulls him into a suite. 

He doesn’t know what he expected. It’s bigger than his apartment, nicer too.  She kicks her boots off, pulls her shirt over her head and then picks something up off the counter and tosses it towards him. “Order something to eat I’m going to take a shower.”

“I thought we were skipping lunch,” he laughs moving to follow her.

She cocks her head as she unbuttons her jeans, “ok tough guy, but you’re not fucking me until I shower.”

She lets him follow her to the bathroom, makes him stand in the doorway and watch her as she unclasps her bra, makes him stand while she hangs it over his shoulder, makes him stand while she stuffs her panties in his jacket pocket.  He wants to reach out, to touch her, to pull her into his arms, press his tongue into her mouth, run his hands along her body.

He reaches for her but she slaps his hand away. She turns the water on, stretches as it warms up.  She takes his hands presses them to her breasts, she shakes her head when he tries to take control. “Not yet,” she smiles dropping his hands.

He watches her step into the shower, watches her wash her hair, watches her tease her hands along her body and his pants begin to feel tight. 

“Hyun,” she sighs, slipping her hand between her thighs, “did you miss me.”

“God,” he groans, “yeah, I missed you.”

“You  _ did _ ? You’ve barely touched me,” she smirks as he adjusts himself, hands lingering a little too long. “Kind of pathetic.”

He whimpers as she cups her breast and pinches her nipple. “Yumi please,” he likes this more than he’d thought.  Likes being teased, likes being called down.

“Hyun,” she says turning the water off.  He watches as she stands in the middle of the bathroom, twice the size of the one in his apartment, and squeezes the water from her hair, “what do you want?”

He swallows, she looks so casual.  She’s naked, dripping water onto the plush bath mat, just braiding her long hair, watching him in the mirror.  He’s not sure what she’s asking, was it part of whatever they were doing right now or did she mean something more. “Y-you, I want you.” He says. 

It seems like the only answer, regardless of the depth of her question.  Her eyes narrow, her brow furrows and she leans into the counter, staring hard at his reflection in the mirror.  She chews her lip and the smug confidence she’d had moments before evaporates for a second.

“Just this?” She asks, her voice quiet and she touches herself softly. It’s not meant to tease, not even really sexual the way her hand rests on her chest and then her hip.

He takes two large steps from where he stood in the doorway to gather her into his arms, pull her back against him, squeeze her tightly and press his forehead to her wet hair. “All of you, Yumi,” he says quickly making eye contact in the mirror.  “You’re right I’m pathetic, we’ve barely seen each other but you own me, you own all of me and I want you, all of you.”

She ducks her head, brushes her fingers across his hands on her belly, he listens to her breathing steady while her fingers travel up his arms.  Goosebumps rise along her damp skin as the heat from the shower wanes and she presses back into him with a sigh. “Really?”

He nods into her hair.

“I  _ own _ you?” She whispers, reaching her hand behind her to card through his hair.

“Mmhmm,” he hums leaning into the touch.

Her fingers knot in his hair and she turns, a quick movement that pulls him off balance as she drags him around to switch their positions.  To push him into the counter he’d been leaning against.  He has to brace his hands on the wall beside the mirror, trapped watching the red creep up his neck and her smiling behind him.  Somehow she manages to be both dark and sweet at the same time.

She presses herself against him, tugging his hair roughly forcing him to arch his back as she uses her hips to bully him up against the counter, “Even like this, Hyun?”  She pushes his Jacket up, tugs his shirt with it and presses a kiss to his spine.

“Especially like this,” he admits.

She spins him around again, tugging him down so that their eyes are level, “Really?”

He smiles then, leaves a chaste kiss on her nose. “Yes really.”

“Because,” she chews her lip, “I mean I kind of gathered you liked being bossed around, you know from the phone, but sometimes,” she stops and shivers.

She chuckles warmly and shrugs out of his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders. “Do you want to put something on?” He asks with another kiss to her cheek, “and talk about it first?”

She blushes and nods, “Order something to eat.”

2

He was not supposed to see that.  He was definitely not supposed to see that.  What does he do, does he call out to them?  Does he stop them?  Everyone is looking for Jumin, does he walk away and hope no one else realizes this hallway even exists, pretend he didn’t just—

“Nng, ha-F-fuck!”

“Shhh.”

Fuck.  Zen doesn’t want to be here, he doesn’t want to think about Jumin and some woman. Who would even expect to catch Jumin doing something like that, somewhere like that.  It didn’t seem like his style.  To be honest, none of this had seemed like anything Zen would have expected from the trustfund-jerk.

“J-Jumin!”

“Hah, shhh.”

God why was he still standing here?

“Zen?”  Yoosung calls from somewhere ahead of him.  “Did you find him?  V says we should just go on without him.”

“Unf—God!”

“Yeah let’s go Yoosung,” Zen says moving towards him quickly.

“What was that?”

“Nothing Yoosung come on, let’s go.”

Rin presses back against Jumin as she watches the actor and the student walk away, she’s a writhing panting mess and Jumin hasn’t even loosened his tie yet. “Your-hah, your f-friends are leaving without you.”

“We’ll catch up,” he says breath brushing past her ear before he moves to suck at her throat, her skirt hiked up past her hips and his hand in her panties.  “You’re the one who wanted this,” he reminds her.

She had.  It wasn’t the first time they’d done this, though it had been many years since either of them had had the opportunity.  “This is not exactly what I h-had in m-mind,” she tries to tease but it’s lost in the catch of her breath as he sinks his teeth into her shoulder.

“You used to be better at keeping quiet,” she can feel him smirk as he curls his fingers inside her and she whines.

“Maybe I got sick of you begging to hear me,” she teases, voice cracking as he draws his hand away.  She turns to watch him fumble with his pants.  She’d led him here to this dark hallway, the only thing it lead to was an emergency exit, knowing it would be unlikely that anyone would look for him here.  She’d forgotten about the actor.  Forgotten in her haste that she only knew about this place because she’d caught the white haired leading man back here only a few days ago.  Pants shoved hastily down his hips, phone pressed to his ear.

Rin steps forward and presses her lips to his, teasing her tongue past his teeth as she reaches between them to shove his trousers down and draw him out.  She swallows his moan and strokes him slowly, trying to draw it out, tease him like he’d done to her.  But Jumin has never been patient and they have places to be.

Strong hands cup her bottom and lift her up, pressing her against the wall and she has to wrap her arms around his neck to keep from throwing them off balance.  He buries his face in her neck as he presses into her and she gasps.

“R-Rin, shit,” he grunts, “god, I forgot how good you feel.”

“Mmmhmm,” she hums urging him on.

His pace is wickedly fast.  This hadn’t been planned and he did hate to deviate from his schedule.  Wedged between Jumin and the wall she does her best to press back, to meet each relentless thrust of his hips with her own. She knows her neck will be marred with bruises, she knows her hair's a mess but she doesn’t care.  

She’s been dreaming of this since the moment he said he would see her today, fixating on it since he’d met her for dinner before the show.  She’d wanted to feel him inside her since the moment his eyes had gone wide and he’d nodded at her over their dessert wine.

He chants her name as the press of his hips starts to stutter and she presses a hand between them.  “N-no,” he grunts setting her back to the floor and dropping to his knees.  His tongue traces her slit, pressing between folds to find her clit.  

She lets one hand comb through his hair as she watches him devour her. She can see him working himself as she feels her orgasm build, rising up on her toes and trying not to roll her hips into his face.  She braces herself on his shoulders when she cums, vaguely aware of his hand tightening on her hip, the way he turns his head.  Face against her thigh, punctuating grunts with gentle kisses against taut muscles of her thighs.

When his grip loosens she drops to her knees to cover his mouth in a kiss. “Mmm,” she hums against his lips feeling them curl into a smile. “I’ve missed this.”


	2. Chapter 2

2

They manage to arrive at the cottage before the rest of his friends. Despite having a thirty minute head-start.  Jumin offers Rin a room of her own but she follows him to the big attic room with her bag.  They change their clothing, casting shy glances at each other.  

That hadn’t been the first time they’d slept together but this would be the first time they did something so intimate as share a room.  They’d hardly a chance to completely undress, their encounters normally rushed affairs even when carefully planned.  It was strange to behave as a couple for the first time in their lives.  A strange freedom neither one of them had ever thought really possible.

He catches her at the top of the stairs, pulling her against him and simply hugging her, reveling in the idea that they didn’t have to hide, that they could simply hold one another any time they liked without reprimand or rumor.

She’s sitting at the table in the cottage when the first wave comes in, Jihyun and the student followed by Jumin’s chief assistant.  She stands to greet them, saving the work on her laptop first.  The Boy hangs back as she shakes the hand of Jaehee Kang and is quickly lifted off the floor by Jihyun.

“Yes, yes,” Jumin frowns, “if you make a joke about getting the band back together I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“I can’t believe no one told me you were in town Erin, I would have taken you to lunch,” the photographer smiles wide at her.

“I’m swamped, honestly, between production for today’s show and this new score I’m working on, _ and _ the new script I’m editing it’s been ridiculous, I’ve only just gotten to see Jumin today.”  She smoothes her long hair over her shoulders.  “It’s nice to see you in high spirits though, Jumin made it sound like you were on the edge of a crisis last I’d asked about you.” she cocks her head when he frowns and smiles at the boy standing nervously at the back of the room.

“Yoosung, this is Erin Choi,” Jaehee offers.

“Yoosung Kim?” She asks squinting at him before glancing to Jihyun and Jumin, “Boy genius Yoosung Kim?”

Yoosung takes a few steps forward and looks at her quizzically as she reaches to shake his hand.  “Sorry, I used to catch Rika bragging on you when I did my mentorship with Mrs.Kim, she practically had a wallet full of pictures.”

Yoosung blushes as he pulls his hand away. “I, uh, it’s nice to meet you.”

“So,” Rin draws it out glancing around, “this isn’t all of you is it?  I thought the fabled RFA was much larger.”  No sooner than the words leave her mouth the doors burst open and she can hear an argument in progress.   The two redheads in front being the cause of most of the upheaval.

“—ou weren’t such a fucking idiot—”

“Says the drama queen.” The taller one interrupts with a snort.

“You were falling asleep,” the other shouts shoving him.

“Think I’d remember that,” he laughs.

“It doesn’t matter,” the tall man behind them says firmly, “we got lost whatever, it happens.”

Rin recognizes him right away but she can tell he hasn’t placed her yet, she wonder briefly if he’d actually seen them earlier or simply stopped when he heard them.  Would he recognize her professionally or would he blush and look away.

He doesn’t do either, she watches his face shift into a brilliant smile as he reaches for her hand, ducking his head blushing and brushing her fingers against his lips. “No one told me we were keeping a lady waiting,” he coos, glancing up at her through his hair, “I wouldn’t have followed those knuckleheads if I’d known.”

Rin snorts.  She can’t help herself. She’s seen this show before when the writers had taken him out to lunch to woo him for their show.  A show they were essentially writing for him.  It shouldn’t surprise her, standing in Jumin Han’s cottage in casual clothing, her hair down and most of her make-up removed, she suspects she doesn’t much look like the cold imposing figure she likes to think she makes when she’s working.

“No one is wooing you today Mr. Ryu,” she smirks, “but it would have been nice to see this dedication at your last few rehearsals.  You were  _ distracted _ the last time we spoke.”

Zen’s eyes narrow on her face and she considers pulling her hair back despite the marks on her neck.

“God I wish Cal was here right now,” the taller twin snorts, “she lives for you being speechless.”

“For once I agree with you,” the other twin snorts snaking an arm around Yoosung’s waist and pressing a kiss to his cheek, “she can read a fucking map.”

“Don’t need a map,” the taller chirps and squints at her, “I know you.”

Rin squints back and then smiles wide, “You do!  Nice to see you again Mr. Choi.”

“And you Ms. Choi,” he curtseys. “When is the next husband going to drop dead?  I’m always available for a Choi.”

“Saeyoung,” Jumin growls but Rin is laughing.

“Who among us,” Saeyoung says, arms thrown wide, “has not been accused of murder?”

“Everyone but Jumin and Rin,” a humorless voice says from behind the rukus.

“It’s nice to see you again, Rika,” Rin says, her previously easy smile feels tight on her face.

The room falls silent, as if everyone can sense the tension between the two women.

“We haven’t met,” the boy with Yoosung says, clearing his throat and leaning forward to shake her hand, “I’m Saeran.”

“Very nice to meet you, you’re Saeyoung’s twin then?”

“I prefer Yoosung’s boyfriend,” he smirks, and Yoosung blushes.

Rin laughs and she feels all eyes on her as Jumin steps closer to wrap an arm protectively around her. “I think I can understand that.”  She frowns at the small crowd in front of her, “is  _ this _ everyone then?”

“Kit could not rearrange her schedule,” Jaehee sighs, “so she may not make it.”

“Ms. Kang,” Rin smiles, “that’s a  _ thing _ now?”

Jaehee smiles and nods.

“Exactly how often do you speak with my assistant?” Jumin asks, a curious frown creases his brow.

“JJ, we’ve been friends on facebook for  _ years _ ,” Rin laughs and leans into him.

“JJ?” Zen asks.

“Yeah,” she smiles, “Jumin’s middle name is J-”

Jumin covers her mouth with his.  It’s not really a kiss barely a pressing of lips and Rin laughs as he holds her there until he’s sure she won’t say anymore.

“Anyone else,” she says as Jumin steps back cautiously.

“Cal will be here later,” Saeyoung shrugs, “Max’s Dad was late picking her up again she insisted we go without her.”

“Callie missed the show?” Zen frowns.

Saeyoung shrugs, “Not really the big issue Zen.”

“Oh,” Jihyun says straightening up, “Hyun, Yumi phoned while we were on the road, her connecting flight in London was delayed she won’t be here until tomorrow.”

“Shit,” Zen groans.

“Little Yumi Park is all grown up and dating,” Rin gasps and shoves at Jumin. “Yumi is dating this guy and you didn’t  _ tell _ me?”

“It hardly seemed important when we were speaking earlier,” Jumin shrugged.

“So Yumi, Jaehee’s Kit, and Saeyoung’s Cal are all RFA members too?” She asks.

“Yes,” Rika nods, the tensions still there but a professional affectation to her voice. 

“Ah yes and Noelle is not a member but did mention that she may visit while we’re all together,” Jumin adds.

“Oh really?  That would be wonderful it’s been years since I’ve seen Nel,” Rin bounces on the balls of her feet. “God it’s nice being back here really.”

“You’ve been here before?” Yoosung asks flopping onto the plush sofa between the twins.

“Mmhm,” Rin nods.

“Ms. Choi has known Jumin since they were children,” Rika says cooly.

“That’s not exactly true,” Rin frowns.

“Our families have been acquainted for that long,” Jumin shrugs.

“Yes but I wouldn’t say I  _ knew _ you until just before you left for school.” Rin laughs.

Rika rolls her eyes. “Jumin.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose there’s no real reason to draw this out.” Jumin nods.

“You insisted I come tonight,” Rika says. “I’m sure you had a reason.”

“It is unfortunate you’ve been so busy lately,” he sighs, “I would have rather spoke to you privately but I suppose this does expedite the process.  I was hoping to make Rin a member of the RFA.  The decision is ultimately up to you.”

“No,” Rika says without considering, “why?”

“Hmm,” Jumin hums, unperturbed glancing around the room.

“Jumin it’s fine,” Rin smiles.

“Is it,” he says and he seems far away for a moment.

“Rika that seems harsh,” Jihyun says softly.

The other attending members of the RFA busy themselves with their phones, attempting to ignore the drama playing out in front of them.  Only Yoosung seems to watch them.

“Does it, V?” Rika says turning on him. “After everything?”

“Everything?” Rin snorts. “Jesus Rika.”

“I am aware there has always been tension between the two of you but if that’s your reasoning then certainly Zen would never have been allowed to join,” Jumin continues on.

Rika snorts, shooting looks between Jihyun and Rin. “Give me one reason Jumin, I really thought you were better than this.  This is not the kind of image I want for the RFA.”

Jumin sighs and presses his thumbs to the bridge of his nose. “ _ Image _ .”

“Adultery,” Rika says softly, “murder,” she continues, “illig-”

“Rika,” V hisses cutting her off.

The rest of the RFA have given up any illusion of not listening.

“I’m not married,” Rin says firmly, “which you are well aware of with the murder comment.”

“Please tell me this place has a bathtub,” a woman calls from the entry, followed by the heavy clunk of a motorcycle helmet hitting the floor.

“Dammit Cal,” Saeyoung grumbles, “we were just getting to the good part.”

“ _ Sorry _ ?” the white haired woman stretches as she steps into the room.

“I suppose,” Jumin says, a hint of irritation seeping into his voice, “with Calliope here and Kit unlikely to be joining us,” he pauses, “Yumi will have to forgive me.”

“Jumin,” Jihyun frowns at his friend.

“Ms. Choi and I have decided to marry,” Jumin says curtly. “It has not been announced yet and I trust that you all can keep this to yourselves.”

“Am I late to improv night?” Callie whispers dropping over the arm of the couch to lay across the three boys. 

“Shh,” Saeran hisses, “I think Mom and Dad are getting a divorce.”

“Fucking finally,” Callie giggles.

“Are you kidding me,” Rika says, her voice sharp and quiet. “Jumin this is, this is the  _ stupidest _ thing you have ever done.”

“Rika,” V hisses. “Jumin’s personal life has nothing to do with you or I.”

“What does that mean?” Zen whispers.

Rin smiles, it’s cold, “It means she’s still pissed off about something that happened 12 years ago.”

“I am allowed to be angry about  _ that _ ,” Rika growls.

“It’s childish,” Jumin frowns. “I had no idea you could hold a grudge.  I had assumed that you were still frustrated about the investigation and the rumors, as you said, and I know that you and Rin haven’t been close since the event.”

“The event,” Yoosung whispers.  

Rin rolls her eyes at the comedy of errors playing out in the living room and squeezes herself on the couch between the arm rest and Saeran. “I’ll fill you guys in while they argue,” she whispers. “The Event refers to the time I slept with Jihyun.”

“What?” Callie squeals.

“We were friends, Rin,” Rika says, throwing her hands in the air.

“We were acquaintances, you were Modeling for my best friend’s little brother.” Rin shrugs, she casts a look at Callie still lying across the boys. “My best friend’s cute little brother who was my age and swaggered when he walked and did this thing with his mouth when he was looking at me.”

Callie, Jumin and Saeyoung laugh.

“You don’t even care!” Rika shouts. “About anything you’ve done.”

“No, you don’t care,Rika.” Rin stands up. “You focused on that one little thing and you probably bring it up with your list of things he’s done wrong when you’re arguing with Jihyun. You keep you’re stupid grudges and assume the worst.”

“You got married Rin,” Rika growls

“I did,” Rin nods, “to a man who was 15 years older than me, who’s wife had died, who had children already.”

“I can even understand why you did what you did,” Rika sighs, “but the two of you continued on with your affair, and then you had Jumin involved in that nasty business when you killed him.”

“For fucks sake Rika, I didn’t kill him, I wasn’t even charged, and I  _ didn’t fucking do it. _  It was a drug interactions and yeah I called Jumin because he was in the city and my  _ husband had died in front of me _ .”

Rika rolls her eyes.

“Besides that, you can judge our relationship all you want but it was entirely consensual, Jumin wasn’t the only person I slept with during my relationship Jin encouraged it as long as I was discreet.”

“Incredibly discreet,” Rika snorts.

“Just because you knew we were going to fuck after dinner doesn’t mean anyone else did.”

“Rika,” Jumin and Jihyun both call her name and she cringes.  Jihyun leads her out of the house with great effort and Rin is almost positive that they are standing outside arguing.

“I’m really sorry,” she sighs. “What a way to meet you all.”

“I had no idea she would be so upset,” Jumin says flatly.

“If you had mentioned that she was coming when I asked,” Rin shakes her head, “I could have told you.”

“I was never upset about you and V,” Jumin frowns, “I understand the misunderstanding given your marriage but it seems unreasonable.”

“It’s,” Rin pauses to find the words.

“She thought you were closer than you are?” Jaehee suggests.

“She did, I didn’t know I was 19 she was 17 these assholes were 18.  I thought I was going to be a big deal and she was just the pretty girl that followed him around. She never said anything because Jumin and I were, whatever we were, then.”

“She thought you were friends, and she thought you wouldn’t sleep with the boy she had a crush on because you were sleeping with his best friend,” Callie offers.

“And I thought I was too cool and I had  _ ideas _ , waters I wanted to test.” Rin shrugs.

Jumins shrugs, “I suppose suggesting everyone relax would be moot.”

“Who isn’t relaxed,” Saeyoung snorts.

“I’m going to go for a run,” Rin says quietly.  She pushes herself up with a hand on Saeran’s knee and a kiss on Jumin’s cheek.

He’s quiet while he watches her pack away her computer and put her sneakers on.  Everyone else whispers like they don’t want to disturb whatever is happening, the hiss of Rika and V just outside the door only adding to the ambience.

“I could come along,” Jumin suggests as she collects a set of headphones from a jacket pocket.

“It’s fine Jumin, I know the way, I won’t be long.”

The door closes behind her and she finds herself standing directly between V and Rika.  Rin holds out a hand towards Rika and whirls on V. “Why the fuck does she know?”

“We’re married Rin, you don’t keep-”

Rin cuts Rika off. “You  _ were _ married right?  That’s what his mood and you’re not planning to be here is all about right?  You two split up and it’s a secret right?”

“Was it that obvious?” V asks quietly while Rika presses her lips together.

“Jumin has mentioned a few times that you two were behaving  _ out of sorts _ ,” she shrugs, “the way you curled in on yourself-”

“Don’t act like that’s  _ my _ fault,” Rika growls.

“-was just like when you used to lie to your mother,” Rin frowns and glances at Rika before she turns her back to the other woman.  “That’s between you two, why did you tell her about Sunhee, that’s not her business.”

“I didn’t,” V says, hands out in supplication, “she saw an email you sent and thought you were talking about  _ me _ an-”

“Fine,” Rin sighs.

“You’re going to have to tell him eventually,” Rika says.  Her voice softer suddenly, as though she’s run out of venom.

“You know,” Rin says taking a step back so she can see the both of them, “I never wanted to keep her from him, our fathers insisted on it, this was out of my hands Rika, I was a teenager.”

V’s hand grasps her shoulder and Rika shakes her head, “I don’t understand.”

“I think he knows,” Rin shrugs, “or suspects at least but doesn’t want to ask me about it.”

“That doesn’t sound like Jumin,” Rika frowns.

“That doesn’t sound like CEO Jumin Han,” V corrects.

Rin shrugs. “He’s been sending her gifts on holidays, he doesn’t sign them but the return address is the penthouse.”

“Why wouldn’t you just tell him?” Rika groans.  Suddenly Rin is 19 years old again, smoking cigarettes behind the Han’s summer home with Jihyun and Noelle while Rika scolds them about their health.

“Jin,” she sighs. “Between our father’s and my husband?  Then with Jin’s death and the tabloids all over us?  It’s not like the papers haven’t had a field day trying to decide who my daughter’s father is, I’ve been lucky that without Jin no one seems to care about me anymore.”

“What do you think is going to happen when you two announce your engagement?” Rika snorts.

“I know,” Rin sighs, “I fucking know.”

V hums, “Mr. Han will pay large publications for positive angles,” he supplies, “other’s will likely sell whatever their reader bases want, I think given recent events you’ll mostly see articles about young love.”

Rin rolls her eyes, “Ok Mr.Sunshine, there will still be articles that try to connect Jumin to Jin’s death, and now they’ll use Sunhee as a motive.”

“Who’s fault is that?” Rika asks, and despite the words her voice is not unkind.

Rin shrugs, she pops her head phones in her ears and starts her jog.

*

“So,” Callie smirks, still stretched out across the Choi twins and Yoosung.

“Alright,” Jumin nods, “I’ll hear it, what do you have to say Calliope?”

“God,” she whines, “it’s no fun when you  _ want _ me to tease you.”

“You’re getting married,” Zen says cracking the tab on a beer.

“I am,” Jumin nods.  

Jumin Han is practically glowing.

“Rika doesn’t like her,” Yoosung says quietly. 

“She doesn’t like  _ me _ either,” Saeran points out.

The door swings open and V steps through, face soft. “Rika is going back to the city.”

“What is going on with her,” Saeyoung says softly, “she never stays for anything we do anymore.”

V clears his throat, “That is, uh, it’s my fault really.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Jumin frowns, “you’re both adults, I’m sure you’ll work through whatever the trouble is.”

V laughs. “We uh, we’ve separated, so I think for once you’re wrong Jumin.”  There’s a hush, a loud hush like the air being sucked from the room and V laughs nervously. “It’s uh, we signed the papers almost a month ago, she’s moved out of my house almost entirely. We couldn’t decide how to tell all of you but she just told me to get over with so.”

“Is this because of Rin?” Jumin asks as Yoosung shoves himself out from under Callie and begins texting.

Saeran reaches for his hand but he shakes him off.

“Months ago Jumin,” V chuckles.

“The confession Jihyun.”

“Maybe but not the way you think,” V shrugs.  “You know I think the two of them could get along again.”

“Did you really diddle the future Mrs Jumin Han?” Saeyoung chuckles.

Jumin snorts.

V covers his face.

*

The cottage is dim when Rin steps inside.  She toes her sneakers off and glances around.  Yoosung and Saeran are sitting under a blanket on the couch, a small fire burning in the fireplace.  They look to be quietly reading on their phones and neither glances to her as she walks softly past.

Rin slips into the kitchen, the familiar feeling of being 19 again creeping up on her.  Tiptoeing through the Han summer home, this time she grabs two bottles of water from the fridge instead of a bottle of wine.  This time as she pads softly up the stairs she avoids the squeaky board out of courtesy rather than stealth.  This time she goes all the way to the stairs at the end of the hall, instead of turning at the 3rd door on the left.

This time, 29 year old Erin Choi is coming home, to one of them at least, not sneaking in for a late night of drinking too much wine and pretending that no one heard them while they stole kisses and touches and whatever else they thought they could get away with,  Tonight Erin Choi changes into an old, comfortable nightshirt after she showers in the ensuite.

Tonight Erin Choi slips under the blankets next to her fiance, she tucks her head into his chest while he wraps an arm around her and continues checking his emails.

Tonight Rin sleeps next to a man she loves for the first time in her life.

*


End file.
